Page 28 of Phantom Mine

I wonder if she has any idea how much those suggestive words heat the blood in my veins. I dismiss the waitress with a flick of my hand and focus on the furious brunette.

“You can dance once you’ve figured out how to dress appropriately,” I announce.

Her mouth parts, indignation coloring her features. Both of her hands go to her hips. “I’m sorry, is this or is this not a strip club? It’s my literaljob descriptionto be inappropriate.”

My eyes narrow on her. “I was very clear about the rules if you wanted to work here.”

A distressed breath slips past her lips. I want to smother them with my own, to suck that sound right into my mouth and make it mine. Raw, aching need barrels through me like a category five hurricane making landfall.

“And I followed them,” she argues.

“You really think having your ass out is in line with the no nudity rule?”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “There was fabric.”

My upper lip curls back over my teeth in displeasure. “See through fabric.”

“You should have been more specific with your rules,” she quips back insolently.

I laugh at that. A hint of a smile curls the corner of her lips before she smothers it.

“It’s not a laughing matter, Matteo.” The way she rasps my name sends a painful pang straight to my cock. Fuck, I can’t believe I’m finally hearing her say it. “Just because you auditioned me does not mean you get to dictate what I wear and how I dance. I have a living to make and you’re interfering with it.”

“You report to me, youworkforme,” I remind her. “That means I get to tell you exactly what I want.”

A deep blush creeps steadily up her neck at my words. Something dark and unidentifiable stirs behind my ribcage. It feels like a hidden monster of mythical proportions.

“From what I understand, I work for your father, not you.”

My face hardens, my features turning black. Melody takes a step back but I reach out and wrap my hand around her wrist, tugging her forward until she’s bending over me.

“You work forme,pavona. And you should thank your lucky stars that you do, because—” My mind goes lethally quiet when I notice faint bruising along the line of her throat. “Did someone try to fuckingchokeyou?”

The theory that she’s here to escape an abusive boyfriend is starting to firm up, and I’m going to string his fingers together on a necklace for laying a hand on her.

Melody tugs at my wrist, in vain.

“Let me go,” she urges.

“Answer the question.” I squeeze her wrist, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “I’ll kill him,pavona,” I vow softly.

“Who?”

“Whoever laid a fucking hand on you. Tell me.”

A vulnerable look crosses her face and her lips part. I lean forward in my seat slightly, already hooked before she’s even said a word.

There’s a flash of hair and then a statuesque blonde drops into my lap. Her arms wrap around my neck as she looks at me flirtatiously from beneath her lashes.

“Matteo,” she purrs.

I frown, my lips flattening in displeasure. I don’t know who she is. Judging by her lack of outfit, I’d guess she’s another one of the dancers. Why she thinks sitting on me is a sane idea and why she chooses this very moment to test out said hypothesis is beyond me. I’m about to show her just how much of a failure her little experiment is.

The momentary distraction gives Melody the perfect opportunity to wrench her wrist free from my hold. She deftly evades my immediate attempt to recapture her.

Her eyes glare daggers first at the blonde, then me.

Then she walks off.

---